That's quite interesting, but it's not just Edler. There's a lot of good talent that $$$ could be spent on, some I think would interest the Canucks more than Edler. I would imagine teams would have a window to resign their UFA's if this thing drags into the summer...

Guys like Iginla (imagine Flames fans' collective shit), Getzlaf and Perry could go to the highest bidder. Vancouver stands to clear about $15M right now. Edler, Malhotra, Raymond, Higgins, Alberts and Lapierre are all UFA. I think it's safe to say the Canucks can jettison Malhotra, Raymond and Alberts without too much trouble. Or Manny could be back for cheap as 4th line centre and Lapierre could go. Either way there's plenty of money to pay Edler. There's also the Luongo trade (cap relief??) to consider.

It would be fantastic to pick up Perry. But he's going to be very expensive. All of this depends on what happens with the Cap. The Canucks have about $55M committed to 13 players for next season.

It would be nice to think that Luongo will result in a lump of Cap space but I'm thinking that who ever we draw in will bring back an exchange of salaries. Garrison, did he really give the team a home town discount ot was there an "understanding" between him his agent and the Canucks ??

I'm not convinced that the league is going to force its teams under a $60m cap in the first year of the next CBA (if they even win the right to do so from the PA), even if 2012-13 is completely lost.

Even if they do the Canucks would need to move Roberto Luongo without a major salary coming back - it's more plausible than it sounds Florida and Toronto have about $40m each committed for 2013-14 and then trade a player like Keith Ballard (or David Booth if push comes to shove) for a player making somewhere in the neighbourhood of $2.5m and that would be enough space to re-sign Alex Edler at reasonable dollars and fill out the rest of the roster with youngsters and whoever is to be had in the bargain bin.

Ultimately if Alex Edler is a free agent immediately after a new CBA is signed the Canucks may not be able to retain him simply because he wants to take the highest offer out there, but it won't be because Gillis and Gilman could not make space for him.

Another thing to note here for those that believe a guy like Keith Ballard is untradeable.. assuming a $60m salary cap means a floor around $44m, and there are a lot of teams that will need to spend well over $10m to get there - especially since it looks increasingly like teams will no longer be able to count performance bonuses as a means of getting to the floor.

The Islanders will have to spend $15m to get to the floor under those circumstances, and with Matt Carkner and Andrew MacDonald their two most experienced defensemen you'd have to think they'd put most of those dollars on the blueline.

Trouble is, the Islanders aren't exactly a free agent destination and will probably miss out on the small handful of quality UFAs that may hit the market in the summer of 2013.

(If they wanted to dump some salary on the Canucks, Michael Grabner has a $3m cap hit with three seasons left after 2012-13; trouble is he's owed $12m for that period because the Isles back-loaded his five year contract. Ballard for Grabner anybody? )

How many teams are going to be in a position to have to move guys? I'd say five or six teams other than the Canucks.. other than them (Blackhawks, Canadiens, Rangers, Bruins, Flames, Flyers) everyone else is either well under $60m for next season or has nobody particularly important to re-sign.

Of that group, for two teams it doesn't make sense to move a defenseman: Boston and the Rangers, who in order to save say $3m would have to trade away major pieces like Dan Girardi or Dennis Seidenberg. Chicago could deal Nicklas Hjalmarsson to save $3.5m but that seems like a tough loss for minimal cap relief.. Johnny Oduya and Steve Montador both have partial NTCs and probably aren't looking to join a bottom feeder. Calgary has given every single defenseman of consequence a movement clause of some sort, the likeliest to move looks like Cory Sarich, he'd only save them $2m and has a full NMC through the end of 2013. The Canadiens could move Tomas Kaberle but does he have much left to offer any NHL team? That leaves Philly who could deal Andrej Meszaros but that leaves their defense looking pretty awful and they've already got some bonus room from Brayden Schenn's deal so if they need space they'd probably look to make it elsewhere.

If a team like the Islanders believes Keith Ballard can play 20-22 minutes in most situations for them, I could see him being at or near the top of their list - assuming he comes for close to nothing of course.

I wonder how long they will give teams to sort the mess out, it's going to be like a farmers market the day after they agree on the new CBA

Senators are sitting pretty with all those good young players in their system and a shit load of money to play with. Gillis terrible spending has screwed the Nucks, it wouldn't be so bad if he had some good young talent coming up through the ranks. That was a brilliant chess move by Tallon getting rid of Booth for a couple of dudes with one year left on their contracts. Now we is stuck with the Meathead and that stupid fucking contract that lasts forever. Ballard too. Shitty returns on the dollar from those two idiots.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

I wonder how long they will give teams to sort the mess out, it's going to be like a farmers market the day after they agree on the new CBA

Well Bettman talked about having a $70m cap for 2012-13 and a $60m cap thereafter so the front page of capgeek doesn't really give much of an indication of who is really going to have to scramble for next year.

The teams I mentioned are the ones that will have to make moves. Others may choose to but could easily ice their roster with reasonable additions and re-signings in a $60m cap environment.

RoyalDude wrote:Senators are sitting pretty with all those good young players in their system and a shit load of money to play with. Gillis terrible spending has screwed the Nucks, it wouldn't be so bad if he had some good young talent coming up through the ranks. That was a brilliant chess move by Tallon getting rid of Booth for a couple of dudes with one year left on their contracts. Now we is stuck with the Meathead and that stupid fucking contract that lasts forever. Ballard too. Shitty returns on the dollar from those two idiots.

Hey it's all speculation at this point the $70 mill was made prior to the end of ther last CBA I believe.

Interesting listening to Pierre McGuire ( what ever you may think of him ) he has spoken to both sides, Senior officials in the NHL and players from the PA. He said in the meeting they had between players and owners Tannenbaum ( considered a dove ) said if he hadn't have heard it with his own ears he would never have believed some of the comments made by players. In addition he said some owners are saying he we sucked it up for years with the 57% - 43 % split in favour of the players.....well this is our time for a split like that favouring the owners.

Listening to to Tom Mayenknecht he reckons that between 10-12 teams are loosing money

Fred wrote:Hey it's all speculation at this point the $70 mill was made prior to the end of ther last CBA I believe.

It's been in some of Bettman's proposals as well.

OK I guess I missed that, you have to say it's tough to keep score right now.

One thing that I thought spoke very loudly is Keslers agent saying he's months away from being ready....makes you wonder if he's expecting the lockout to go on for a long time and he's covering his client

Lets keep in mind that the proposal also calls for AHL salaries and salaries of players in other pro leagues, to count agains the cap as well. Now I have heard it will be salaries over 100k but still there is the potential for that to $uck with the new CBA. So someone like Redden will really hurt the NYR and you know he will have to be their buyout. So he may come on the market for 1-2 million and at that he may be worth the gamble to pick up.